Sing: Follow the prophets verse 9

Every day, we must make choices. What kind of choices did you have to make to day?
(brainstorm on blackboard ex. do I want to go to church, get up in time, pick out some nice clothes, talk nice when I do not feel like it)

Jesus want us to be kind to every one. He wants us to do what he would have done.
Do we know any songs that tells us this?

If no songs are suggested sing:
Kindness begins with me (CS 145) or
Nephi’s courage verse 3 (CB 120)

Explain that throughout our lives, we will have to make choices. When we choose to do what is right, we often the guidelines given us by our parents, or the prophet. They will guide us back to our Father in Heaven.

What kind of guidelines has our prophet to day given us? (Talk briefly about the six B’s)

READ 1. Nephi 3:7

Do you think it is difficult to follow the Prophet? If so, why?
Whenever we are tempted to choose wrong, but chooses right, we grow.

STORY:
Tell this story from FRIEND.

Many years ago, in 1899, there was a terrible drought in southern Utah. For more than two years there was no rain. The streams, and even the wells, around the town of St. George had dried up. There was no water for the crops, so they withered up and died. Thousands of cattle died of thirst. Many people began moving away because of the lack of food and water.

Nell was a little girl living in St. George at that time. Her father told her that things were so bad that they would also have to move away soon.

In June, Nell and her mother went to a Church conference in St. George. The prophet, President Lorenzo Snow, was going to speak. Nell's father stayed home to pack the family's things for their move. Nell listened carefully to what the prophet said. After the conference, she could hardly wait to tell her father about it. As soon as she arrived home, she ran to find him. She told him that President Snow had promised that if the people would pay their tithing and plant their crops, it would rain and they would have food for the coming year.

At first, Nell's father was reluctant. He explained that their family couldn't survive another year if the crops didn't grow. Nell reminded him that her grandfather had told her about how the people in his day were blessed by doing exactly what President Young asked them to do. Nell had wished that she could have lived then and followed President Young. Grandfather had smiled at her and had reminded her that President Snow was the prophet now and he was the one Nell needed to follow. Her grandfather said that if she followed the living prophet, she would be blessed. She believed her grandfather, and she believed that President Snow's promises would all be fulfilled. She even offered to give her father the money she had saved to help pay their family's tithing.

The next morning, Nell saw her father out plowing, getting ready to plant their fields. Her family stayed in St. George and did exactly what the prophet asked them to do. During the hot, dry weeks that followed, the people of St. George paid their tithing, planted their fields, prayed, and
watched the cloudless sky for rain. Neither Nell nor her father was surprised when two months after the conference, it began to rain. The crops grew in abundance that year!

Nell had faith that if her family did what the prophet asked them to do, they would be blessed. We will be blessed if we follow the living prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, have faith and pay our tithing, read the scriptures, have family home evening, keep the Sabbath Day holy, say our
prayers, and obey the commandments. President Hinckley speaks for Heavenly Father. Whatever he asks of us is what Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want us to do. If we are obedient, we will be blessed.

SING: Keep the commandments

Give what time is left to the song leader... so practice the songs for SCMP.

OR:

Talk about the different things prophets in our time has told us to do. On my web page, there is a activity, that might help you out here:

<Click here>